SUNS' ' Offseason Hinges On Stoudemire

PHOENIX -- Steve Nash had just finished heaping effusive praise on his teammates, calling this as special a group as he'd ever played with, when he was asked if he'd like the Suns to bring everybody back.

"It's pretty clear I'd like to keep the group together," Nash said. "It's phenomenal to come to work every day with the group of guys we had, everyone fighting for the same thing, proving when you commit to one another and to what we're trying to do, you know, you really can -- all the clichés really are true. You can maybe be greater than the sum of your parts."

Although Phoenix overachieved beyond any Suns fan's wildest expectations, coming two games short of eliminating the defending champion Lakers and reaching their first NBA Finals since the days of Barkley, it won't be easy to bring back all of Nash's mates.

The first major domino will fall when Amare Stoudemire decides where he wants to play basketball next season. Stoudemire is widely expected to decline his $17.7 million player option for next year, which would put him on the market along with all the other big names in the much-ballyhooed Class of 2010.

Minutes after the Suns were eliminated, Stoudemire reiterated that it's still a 50-50 proposition that he will return to Phoenix next season.

"I'm still not sure what the future holds," Stoudemire said. "I'm just going to take a couple days, enjoy the family and enjoy the rest, and start figuring out what the next move is."

Grant Hill, who plans on finishing his career in Phoenix, has a $3.3 million option he's expected to exercise, but Channing Frye has said he will decline the $2 million option he has outplayed this season. The Suns would like to bring Frye back since he's a perfect fit for their offense, but that will depend on the price.

The Suns' only other relevant free agent is Lou Amundson, who may have outplayed the kind of salary the Suns would be willing to offer.

Even if Stoudemire leaves, the Suns would not be far enough under the cap to be a major player in free agency, especially if they bring Frye back at a raise.

But maybe the lesson we should have learned from the 2009-10 Suns is that finding the right pieces is more important than making a big offseason splash.
Diposkan oleh shio tahun china di 02:07